Home Renovations
by pippin the took
Summary: Aoshi experiences the thing that he hates most in life: Home Renovations


A.N.- This story is an Alternate Reality story. Aoshi's character will O.O.C. Jus think of him already having found his redemption er what not. This story was spurred on after some experiences with renovating my own home. This story is also in Aoshi's POV.

Disclaimer- I don't own anything except the plot.

When I woke up on a Monday about a month ago, I know that I shouldn't have listened to Misao. How was I to know that my little wife would sway me toward a different direction and make both of our lives increasingly more difficult? I am sure that you are by now wondering the situation. Well, since you insist, I shall tell you. I remember it like it was only five minutes ago…….

_Flashback_

It was a nice Sunday morning, and I was sitting in my office looking through the newspaper ads. I had been wanting to buy a new car and was exploring all of my options. It was ten o'clock, and as always, my wife, Misao, brought our morning tea for us to drink. It was a ritual that had been established long before we were married. On the weekends, she would bring in morning and afternoon tea for us. It turned into a bonding ritual as it was the only time we could wind down and converse about the happenings in our lives. She handed me my cup, and had just sat down to drink hers when she brought up the idea that I now thought wretched.

"Aoshi, I was thinking that with the baby on its way and all that we should consider remodeling. The house does need some work, and what a perfect time to work on it while I am on pregnancy leave. Maybe you could take some vacation time off of work. I know that you have been saving it up." she explained.

"I thought we had agreed on buying a new car." "Correction, you agreed, Aoshi. I think that our car is just fine." she retorted, "Besides, don't you want our child to be born in and to grow up in a beautiful home. It could inspire creativity. He or She could follow in their father's footsteps and become the next great architect all because you remodeled our home."

I knew that she had been up to something. She was trying the old "build up Aoshi's ego method." I hate to admit that it was working. After all, with my unbridled talent and her dedication to work, we could transform this place into something that could even make T.V. designers cry in shame of their work.

"All right, Misao. We'll remodel this place. Now, did you have anything in mind that you like to do?" and so began my torture. She immediately went off into describing the schematics of her plan.

_Present_

And that is why I am in the situation I that am in now. For the last hour, I have been chiseling linoleum flooring by hand. Misao had decided that she wanted real wood floors in her kitchen. Being the wonderful husband that I am, I complied with her wishes, but only after she promised to start painting the walls in the living room. A relatively easy job, but I didn't want her doing much in her delicate condition. She complains that I am to overprotective of her, but I merely state that I have to secure the future of the Shinomori line. After all, it is in her womb as we speak. She would pout at me, but with her being at almost eight months, I wasn't about to let her run amuck.

"Aoshi, I'm finished with the first coat. Could you come look at it?" I heard her yell from the living room. I sauntered in and praised her on doing a beautiful job. "Misao, you've done an excellent job. It looks wonderful. I doubt we'll need to put on a second coat."

"Aoshi, can I come help you in the kitchen? I can help chisel up the flooring. I promise I'll be careful." She pleaded me with her pouting eyes. "Well, only for a little while, Misao. Then I want you to go lie down and take a nap. You shouldn't over exert yourself, and you've done a lot already." I said.

"You shouldn't worry so much, Aoshi. The baby is fine."

I placed my hand at the small of her back, and carefully lead her into the kitchen making sure to avoid tripping on any of the supplies strewn out across our house floors. I helped her to sit down in a small corner and showed her which way the chisel should be turned before heading to my own corner to work.

We had only been working fifteen minutes when I heard her yelp. "Ouch!" "Misao, what is it?" I asked quickly. "It's nothing, Aoshi. I just accidentally hit my hand with the hammer." And so we began to work again. We worked well into the night, and had almost completed scraping the whole floor.

I had finished my final section for the night, and stood up to stretch out my cramped muscles. I hadn't heard a peep out of Misao in a while and figured that she had fallen asleep. I was right. Sure enough, there she was leaning against a counter with her hand placed protectively over her stomach, fast asleep.

I gently picked her up and brought her to our room. She didn't stir when I tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight. I went into our adjoining bathroom and changed into my bed clothes before joining her.

I had just pulled the covers up over me when I heard her tired voice telling me thanking me for being a wonderful husband. I softly kissed her on the cheek, and started to drift off to sleep. My last coherent thought for the night was that tomorrow would be the start of another day in the adventures of home renovations.


End file.
